1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to product conveyors. More particularly, it relates to a conveyor system that eliminates or reduces the use of guide rails.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional conveyor systems carry product containers on flat, level belts or other driving surfaces. When the path of travel includes a curvature, guide means are provided so that the product container will encounter such guide means and be deflected thereby onto a changed path of travel. Curvatures of lengthy extent thus require more guide rails than shorter curvatures.
Thus there is a need for a conveyor system that can follow a path of travel that includes curves but which does not require guide rails.
Conventional conveyor systems are not always designed for the comfort of the workers who load and unload the product.
There is a need as well to convey products that are positioned ergonomically relative to workers who load and unload product onto and from the conveyor.
A need further exists for a product conveyor that operates at a lower cost than conventional product conveyors.
Moreover, there is a need for conveyor systems that can be easily re-configured to handle small product containers, tall but narrow product containers, wide but low profile product containers, and large product containers.
However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art how the identified needs could be met.